Did MP Congress Uncover a Conspiracy in Voter Roll Revisions?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Allegations of misuse of Form 7 applications are being investigated.
- The process of filing claims and objections is nearing completion.
- Voters still have the opportunity to restore their names on the rolls.
- Election officials emphasize that deletions are not final.
- Procedures exist for both inclusion and objection to ensure electoral integrity.
Bhopal, Jan 22 (NationPress) As the deadline for filing claims and objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls comes to a close in BJP-governed Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the Congress party has made significant allegations. They assert that pre-filled Form 7 applications were utilized to remove voters’ names without proper verification.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath accused Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by the ruling BJP of submitting these pre-filled Form 7 applications via a centralized system to eliminate the names of legitimate voters from the electoral rolls.
“These Form 7 applications already have the information of actual voters, yet there is no clear indication of the individual who filed the objection. This represents a calculated conspiracy to manipulate the electoral process. Our Congress volunteers are actively contesting this on the ground,” Kamal Nath remarked in a statement released on Thursday.
In the meantime, a delegation from the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), led by state president Jitu Patwari, visited the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to present a memorandum outlining alleged inconsistencies in the SIR process.
As per the Election Commission, electoral officials have received approximately 7.17 lakh applications for the inclusion of names and around 83,000 applications for exclusion as of Wednesday evening.
This controversy arose following the release of draft electoral rolls on December 23, which suggested that more than 42 lakh voters across 55 districts in Madhya Pradesh may be removed.
However, election officials have clarified that these deletions are not yet final and that eligible voters still have the opportunity to reinstate their names.
Voters whose names are absent from the draft rolls can apply for inclusion by submitting Form 6, either online via the Election Commission portal or offline to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) or Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
Those who believe their names were wrongly removed during the SIR can request restoration by filing objections along with relevant documentation such as Aadhaar, voter ID, ration card, or proof of residence. The law also allows for objections against wrongful inclusions, such as duplicate, deceased, or shifted voters, through Form 7.